Gas line rupture closes Rochester thoroughfare for a short time

ROCHESTER — A gas leak at Cumberland Farms this morning caused a portion of North Main Street to be closed to traffic for some time, as Unitil repaired the problem.

The leak occurred around 9:58 a.m., at the Cumberland Farms at 299 North Main St., which is currently being torn down for renovations.

Fire Capt. Paul LaClair said the gas leak occurred as construction crews were trying to fix a water leak; as crews were digging up a buried water line to repair the water leak, a back hoe accidentally struck the gas line.

By around 10:03 a.m., construction crews shut down their equipment, and the Fire Department arrived, immediately closing the road to traffic. Unitil arrived to the scene by 10:11 a.m.

LaClair said the Police Department assisted with closing down North Main Street, as well as the entrance to Hannaford, across from Cumberland Farms.

He said that gas was escaping into the air, and “We didn't want to take a chance of anybody driving through gas.”

The road was opened up to traffic by 10:26 a.m., when the gas was shut off.

According to LaClair, the breached gas line that was an inch and a quarter thick. LaClair could not estimate how much gas was spilled.

He said the affected gas line also feeds the nearby McDonalds, which went without gas for about an hour, as the gas line was being repaired.